Railway car



March 27, 1934. c Kl s 1,953,014

RAILWAY CAR Filed June 2, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet ,1

0 O O O O O INVENTOR lLATToRNEYs C. HANKINS RAILWAY CAR March 27, 1934.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1932 4; ATTORNEYJ Patented Mar. 27, 1934 RAILWAY CAR Cyrus Hankins, Washington, D. 0., assignor to Wine Railway Appliance Company, Toledo, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application June 2, 1932, Serial No. 615,000

12 Claims.

My invention relates to railway cars and more particularly to improvements in cars of the hopper type.

The principal object of the invention is to provide the hoppers of railway cars with portions adjacent the lading discharge openings thereof for cooperating with the doors for closing the latter to prevent the escape of lading from the car and to rigidify the discharge end of the hopper.

A primary feature of the invention consists in providing the hopper adjacent the lading discharge opening with a rearwardly extending flange for cooperating with an inwardly projecting flange of the hopper door.

Another feature of the invention consists in providing the floor of the hopper with a member projecting beyond the outer edge of the latter which is formed with a rearwardly projecting flange for cooperating with an inwardly extending portion of the hopper door.

A further feature of the invention consists in providing the hopper with a U-shaped member having aweb portion secured to the floor of the hopper and having upwardly extending legs secured to the side sheets of the hopper, the web portions and legs being provided with rearwardly extending flanges affording seats for adjacent portions of the hopper door when the latter is in closed position.

A still further feature of the invention consists in providing the hopper with a plurality of U-shaped members adjacent the lading discharge opening thereof, one of said members constituting reinforcing for the hopper, the other of said members having portions affording seats for the hopper door.

Other and more specific features of the invention residing in advantageous forms, combinations and relations of parts will hereinafter appear and be pointed out in the claims. 7

In the drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of a railway hopper car.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the construction illustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 44, Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the hopper reinforcing member.

Figure -6 is a front view of the reinforcing member.

Figure '7 is a side elevational view of the relaforcing member as viewed from the left hand Figure 9 is a plan view of the door seat member of the hopper.

Figure 10 is a front elevational view of the door seat member. Y Y

Figure 11 is a side elevational view of the door seat member as viewed from the left hand side of Figure 10 w v Figure 12 is a side elevational view of the door seat member as viewed from the right hand side of FigurelO.

The car chosen for purposes of illustrating the invention is of the well known type wherein the hoppers are disposed on opposite sides of the center sill, but it will be understood that the invention is not .limited to cars of this type as modifications in the form of the hopper may obviously be made without departing from the scope of the claims defining the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the downwardly inclined floor sheet of the hopper and 2 and 3 respectively indicate the inner and outer side sheets of the hopper. As is customary, the outer side sheet 3 may be rigidly secured along its upper edge to a side sill 4 of the car and the inner side sheet 2-may be rigidly secured along its. upper edge to an adjacent beam, member 5 of the car center sill. Along their lower edges each of the side sheets is flanged inwardly as at 6 to underlie and be rigidly secured to adjacent portions of the floor sheet 1.

Extending transversely of the car above the lading discharge opening of the hopper is a cross ridge sheet 7 which is preferably secured at one end to the side sill and at its other end to the center sill. To connect the cross ridge sheet to the side sheets of the hopper the latter may be formed at their upper corners with inwardly projecting flanges 8 which overlap the outer face of the ridge sheet and are preferably connected thereto by rivets 9.

Pivotally mounted on the cross ridge sheet is the door 10 for closing the lading discharge opening of the hopper. The door is so mounted that it is adapted to swing to open position under the influence of gravity, and the pivot mounting therefor may advantageously comprise hinge straps 11 secured to the outer face of the door and hinge brackets 12 which are rigidly secured to an angle member 13 mounted on the ridge sheet for reinforcing the latter. The brackets 12 are provided with openings for receiving hinge pins 14 which pass through the upper ends of the hinge straps 11.

Secured to the outer face of the door adjacent its lower edge is a stiffening member or door spreader 15 which may advantageously be of Z shape in cross section. i

As is well understood when the stiffening member serves as a door spreader it extends transversely of the car and is rigidly connected to the sections of the door on opposite sides of the car center sill so as to cause the door sections to operate as a unit. Rigidly mounted upon the end of the stiffener 15 adjacent the side edge of the door is an arm 16 for cooperating with a hook 17 pivotally mounted on the outer side of the hopper to maintain the door in closed position.

Embracing the discharge end of the hopper is a substantially U-shaped member 18 having a web portion 19 and upwardly extending legs 20 and 21 respectively. The web 19 is provided with a plate portion 22 rigidly secured to the underside of the floor sheet 1 adjacent the lading discharge opening, while the legs 20 and 21 are respectively provided with plate portions 23 and 24 which are respectively secured to the outer and inner side sheets of the hopper. For a purpose that will hereinafter appear the portion of the inner side sheet adjacent the lading discharge opening preferably inclines inwardly as at 25 and it is to'this portion of the sheet that the plate portion 24 of the inner leg 21 is secured. All of the plate portions of the U-shaped member 19 extend forwardly beyond the marginal edges of the side sheets and floor sheet of the hopper and terminate in a rearwardly extending flange 26' which forms a door seat portion which extends continuously around three sides of the hopper. Not only does the flange 26 extend rearwardly but the portion thereof on the'web 19 extends downwardly with respect to the floor sheet while the portions thereof on the legs 20 and 21 extend outwardly at acute angles to the respectively adjacent side sheets. Insteadof forming the flange 26 so that it makes a sharp corner with the plate portions 22, 23 and 24, it is preferably formed so as to provide the outer end of the U-shaped member with a well rounded edge as indicated at 27. By forming the flange in this manner it will be appreciated that the member 1B will possess considerable strength and that should it become distorted by an unusually severe blow, it may be easily restored to its original form.

Along its side, and free edges the door 10 is provided with inwardly extending flanges .28 respectively adapted to overlappingly engage the flange 26 of the U-shaped member 18 when the door is supported in closed position. These flanges are preferably disposed so that when the door is in closed position'they will engage relatively large areas of the flange 26 and thereby efiectively seal the hopper against the escape of ,flne lading. Along its hinged edge the door is formed with an inwardly extending flange 29 which whenthe door is in closed position is adapted to project above a flange 30 of an angle member 31 which is rigidly secured to the lower edge of the cross ridge sheet '7 and defines the upper edge of the lading discharge opening.

Although the member 18 serves to rigidify the discharge end of the hopper, the latter may be additionally reinforced by a U-shaped member 32 which is provided with a web portion 33 and upwardly extending legs 34 and 35 respectively. The web portion 33 is rigidly secured to the hopper in overlapping relation to the outer face of the plate portion 22 of the member 18 while the legs 34 and 35 are rigidly secured to the hopper in overlapping relation to the plate portions 23 and 24 respectively.

Although the member 32 may be of any desired shape in cross section, it has been illustrated as being of substantially angle shape having flanges 36 and 37.

By providing the hopper with door seat portions which extend rearwardly from the discharge end thereof it will be readily perceived that they are disposed out of the path of lading discharged from the hopper and will not, therefore, become distorted and deformed as easily as would be the case if they extended forwardly from the hopper. Moreover, the door seat portions serve to rigidify the discharge end of the hopper and are so disposed that the door may be easily formed with portions to cooperate therewith for preventing the escape of fine lading from the hopper.

I claim:-

1. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, said hopper comprising side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, each of said sheets being provided adjacent the lading discharge opening'with a rearwardly extending flangeand a door for closing the lading discharge opening having inwardly projecting portions respectively adapted. to overlappingly engage said flanges when the door is in closed position.

' 2. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening and with an inclined floor, a member overlappingly secured to said floor adjacent the lower end thereof, said member defining a portion of the lading discharge opening and being provided with a curved portion terminating in a rearwardly projecting flange extending downwardly with respect to the floor, and a door for closing the opening having an inwardly projecting flange adapted to overlap said rearwardly projecting portion.

3. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening and with an inclined floor sheet, a member secured in overlapping relation to the floor sheet and projecting forwardly therefrom, said member defining a portion of the lading discharge opening and having a flange extending rearwardly from adjacent the forward edge thereof and extending downwardly with respect'to the floor sheet, and'a door for closing the opening having an inwardlyprojecting portion adapted-to overlap said rearwardly extending flange.

4. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening and with an inclined floor sheet, a member rigidly secured in overlapping relation to said floor sheet, the outer edge of said member terminating in a rearwardly projecting flange extending downwardly with respect to the floor sheet, and a door for closing the opening having an inwardly projecting portion adapted to overlap said flange.

5. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening and a downwardly inclined floor sheet, a member secured to the floor sheet adjacent the lading discharge opening and having a rearwardly projecting flange extending downwardly with respect to the-floor sheet, reinforcing means rigidly secured to said member and having angularly disposed plate-like portions, and a door for closing the lading discharge opening having an inwardly projecting portion adapted to overlap said flange.

6. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening and with a downwardly inclined floor sheet, a member rigidly secured to said floor sheet and projecting forwardly beyond the latter, the forward edge of said member terminating in a rearwardly projecting flange extending downwardly with respect to the floor sheet, reinforcing means for the hopper secured to said member, and a door for closing the lading discharge opening having an inwardly projecting portion adapted to overlap said flange.

7. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, said hopper including side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, a U-shaped member having a web portion rigidly secured to said floor sheet and upwardly extending legs rigidly secured to said side sheets, said Web and legs respectively having rearwardly extending flanges, and a door for closing the lading discharge opening having inwardly projecting portions respectively adapted to overlap said rearwardly extending flanges.

8. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, said hopper including side sheets and a downwardly inclined floor sheet, a U-shaped member having a web rigidly secured to said floor sheet and legs rigidly secured to said side sheets, said web and legs respectively projecting forwardly beyond the outer edges of the sheets and respectively terminating in rearwardly extending flanges, and a door for closing the lading discharge opening having inwardly projecting portions respectively adapted to overlappingly engage said flanges.

9. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, said hopper including side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, a plurality of U-shaped members respectively having web portions secured in overlapping relation to the floor sheet and respectively having upwardly extending legs secured in overlapping relation to the side sheets, one of said members constituting reinforcing means for the hopper and the other of said members having rearwardly extending flanges affording door seat portions, and a door for closing a lading discharge opening having inwardly projecting flanges adapted to respectively overlap said seat portions.

10. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, said hopper including side sheets and a downwardly inclined floor sheet, a substantially U-shaped member embracing the hopper adjacent the discharge end thereof and having portions projecting forwardly beyond the outer edges of the hopper sheets, said portions defining the lading discharge opening of the hopper and terminating in rearwardly extending flanges.

11. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, said hopper including side sheets and a downwardly inclined floor sheet, a substantially U-shaped member embracing the hopper adjacent the discharge end thereof and having plate portions projecting forwardly beyond the outer edges of the hopper sheets, said plate portions being rounded at their forward ends and respectively terminating in rearwardly projecting flanges.

12. A railway car having a hopper provided with a lading discharge opening, said hopper including side sheets and an inclined floor sheet, a plurality of overlappingly arranged substantially U-shaped members embracing the hopper adjacent the discharge end thereof, one of said members constituting reinforcing means for the hopper and the other having portions projecting forwardly beyond the adjacent edges of the hopper sheets, said forwardly projecting portions defining the lading discharge opening of the hopper.

CYRUS HANKINS. 

